There’s more evidence the state’s economy may be on the mend. Wisconsin ‘s largest employers are cautiously optimistic about job creation next year, and smaller companies are even more confident about job prospects, according to Jim Haney, President and CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce. “No one is expecting a sharp ‘v’ rebound from this recession, everybody’s talking in terms of a big ‘u’, meaning a long, slow progression out of the depths of last year,” said Haney.
Twenty-nine percent of WMC board member companies say they will add employees in the next 12 months, and 45 percent of WMC members project increased employment. But Haney said the survey also reveals ongoing concerns with state government among WMC membership. “The state of Wisconsin continued to spend enormous amounts of money. A lot of new entitlement programs were adopted, a lot of new regulations, and almost three billion dollars in new taxes,” noted Haney. “That’s just very hard to swallow to make ends meet.” Overwhelmingly, the WMC board and full membership identified Wisconsin ‘s high taxes as the top policy issue facing the state.